Britain signed a deal on Thursday to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after a London judge overturned a last-minute injunction and cleared the way for an agreement the government says is vital to protect the nation’s security.
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The multibillion-dollar deal will allow Britain to retain control of the strategically important US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia, the largest island of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, under a 99-year lease.
The signing went ahead after a carefully choreographed ceremony was postponed when lawyers representing a British national born in the Chagos Islands were granted an interim injunction at the High Court in the early hours of Thursday.
Judge Martin Chamberlain then lifted that injunction following a hearing, saying Britain’s interests would be “substantially prejudiced” if the injunction were to continue.
The government, which has been criticised by opposition parties for pursuing a deal they say is too costly and would play into the hands of China, has long said the agreement is essential to secure the future of Diego Garcia.
“The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain, from deploying aircraft to defeat terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan to anticipating threats in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a news conference.
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